A comment by Kylian Mbappé has had significant commercial repercussions in China, with at least three major companies announcing the termination of their partnerships with the French Real Madrid star.
Dongpeng, Mengniu, and Milkground announced that they are terminating their agreements with Mbappé, using similar wording in their statements and emphasizing that they oppose “words and actions that hurt national sentiment.”
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The controversy arose after the release of an excerpt from an interview with Mbappé prior to his appearance on the French web show “The Bridge.” The Frenchman was asked about his favorite meme featuring himself and referred to an image in which his face had been superimposed onto Mao Zedong’s body.
“It was a video that someone had made with a guy… I think he was a Chinese dictator,” Mbappé said, with that particular comment sparking strong reactions in China.
Shortly afterward, the soccer player issued a public apology via social media. “During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself. My comment was wrong, and I now realize that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” he initially stated.
“I apologize to everyone who was upset by my words. That was by no means my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” he added.
https://t.co/MQBo9NCSy5
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) October 27, 2026
The RedNote platform also joined the backlash, clarifying that its content partnership with Mbappé had ended on December 31, 2024, while also announcing that it would remove related promotional material.
The French forward had a particularly strong commercial presence in the Chinese market, appearing in advertisements for products ranging from energy and electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In a Dongpeng campaign, he even appeared reciting a tagline in Chinese, while in the Mengniu campaign, he starred alongside Lionel Messi.
The story gained massive traction on Chinese social media as well. Reports of companies ending their partnerships with Mbappé topped the trends on Weibo, and posts calling for a boycott of the soccer player also appeared.
La Liga also weighed in, distancing itself from Mbappé’s comments and emphasizing that they were made on a personal level and do not represent the governing body of the Spanish league.
At the same time, it expressed regret for the offense caused to Chinese fans and announced that it is in contact with partners and institutions in China, in order to address the situation.
*photo source: AP
